I have a confession to make. Many years ago I worked in Washington DC. My daily commute on the Red Line dumped me in Judiciary Square, which is home to the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial. My morning and evening trudge through the Memorial made me blind to the ultimate sacrifice made by so many of my brothers and sisters in law enforcement. I stopped once or twice to find names of people I knew to pay homage, but for the most part, I hurried past without considering the gravity of the Memorial I was breezing through.

In the intervening years, I have lost other friends, but have not come to the Memorial to honor their memory. It is a difficult issue...one that might be far too common in the law enforcement community. I believe there is sometimes a tendency to jade yourself to death and focus on the next task at hand. It becomes very easy to lose yourself in your work and ignore the elephant in the room. Every day...as I prepare for work, my primary duty for that day has always been to come back home. When our brothers and sister "end their watch" we grieve and move on. I lost a co-worker last year in a shoot out. It hit me different this time and I'm not sure I really know why. I made a resolution that I would attend the Memorial Services this year in honor of his service. I'm glad I made that decision. It is amazing how differently the Memorial appeared to me when I viewed it with fresh eyes.

The Memorial doesn't have the subtle effect of the Viet Nam Memorial, which slowly envelopes you with it's height. The Memorial could almost be missed by visitors as just another marble garden in a city full of statues and stone. The low walls stand waist high and create two semi-circles opening on either end to "E" Street and "F" Street. The Memorial is guarded on each end by sculpted lions, a noble and fierce creature that embodies the strength of the men and women whose names are recorded within. The Memorial is inscribed at the ends with scripture and quotes that embody the work that these men and women performed. Among these inscriptions are words to the effect of In Valor There is Hope...It is not how these men died that made them heroes, but how they lived their lives...

The walls are divided into panels that are numbered. There is a guidebook at the end of the Memorial to assist you in finding the name you are seeking. It will provide the panel and row number to make it easier to locate the name within the Memorial which contains 17,500 names dating back to the 1700's. As new names are discovered from State Archives or other investigation, they are added alongside the current year additions. The goal is to ensure that no sacrifice go unnoticed. This year 181 names were added for 2007 making it the second deadliest year for law enforcement in recent history. These names were joined by approximately 170 names previously lost to history. The names are added each year where they were left off the year before. Unfortunately, the lines run much deeper than they did during my years commuting on the Red Line. Thousands of names have been memorialized in the intervening years. It is a numbing thought to see the difference upon my return to the Memorial...too many names.

The Memorial is adorned with a reflecting pool, large trees and a variety of plants. The trees have matured over the years and appear to be meticulously maintained. They provide a shelter as you move beneath the manicured branches looking at the stark reminder of the sacrifices made nearly every other day as brave men and women serve and protect their communities. During April the daffodils provide a bright contrast to the stone and greenery. During my visit, the daffodils had been replaced by wreaths and personal tokens that bring home the personal aspect of those affected by their loss. There are patches and pins and photographs attached to the wall as law enforcement officers and families from around the country converge on Judiciary Square to honor their loved ones. Near the end of the wall, there are foreign officers taped to the walls who have paid the ultimate price in their home country. Their names will never be permanently etched on our wall, but they are welcome to share that space...the law enforcement community is a community of mutual respect that doesn't know borders...I took a few moments to honor those men and women whose remembrance on that wall will soon pass and be forgotten...they may be from Australia or England, but they share a common sense of duty. They are part of that thin blue line that protects the public from the predators among us.

During the candlelight vigil last night, I was chilled at times by the well chosen words offered by United States Attorney General Michael Mukasey. The service was filled with musical offerings given by survivors of fallen officers. The speakers were eloquent and pointed in their speeches avoiding verbose bravado. The intensity of the ceremony transcends any need for pomp and circumstance. A simple thin blue line in the form of a laser beam penetrated the middle of the Memorial as a simple yet universally recognized symbol of law enforcement. In the wake of 9/11 there was a lot of talk about the lack of coordination and shared intelligence between federal and local agencies. At the Memorial, those lines become blurred beyond anything we cold ever achieve in a working environment. There are no jurisdictional lines or inter-agency rivalries...only brothers and sisters from the law enforcement community honoring our fallen comrades.

One of the most amazing feats of the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial is that it was built with private funds. Memorial did not experience the kind of high profile fund raising that the World War II Memorial experienced with a high profile spokesperson like Tom Hanks. Instead, the Memorial was funded silently by private donations from within the Law Enforcement community and from corporate sponsors. One of the largest fund raising events has been the annual Police Unity Ride where law enforcement officers obtain pledges from private donors and ride bicycles from New Jersey and Virginia. This year the Unity Ride provided a check for more than one million dollars. In 2000, President Clinton authorized the construction of a National Law Enforcement Museum which will face the Memorial. This comes with a capital campaign requiring 80 million dollars to complete construction. The 200,000 annual visitors to the National Law Enforcement Memorial is expected to more than double once the museum is completed...with annual estimates of half a million visitors per year. The museum will provide insight into changes in law enforcement dating back to the 1600's. The museum will be an interactive experience that will offer visitors the opportunity to see what it's like to make life and death decisions in an instant. With the success of programs like CSI, I would expect the museum to exceed expectations in annual attendance. The museum is expected to open in 2011.

The National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial is free of charge. If you are traversing the city using a Metro Pass, then the easiest way to access the Memorial is by taking the Red Line to Judiciary Square. When you exit the subway you will find yourself at the entrance to the Memorial. If you are walking or driving through the city, the Memorial is located between E and F Streets NW and 4th and 5th Streets.

The National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial holds a personal place in my heart. I have now had the opportunity to honor a friend and co-worker after years of avoiding the experience. I guess I am older and hopefully a bit wiser now. It is not easy for me to look at the family survivors of fallen officers. I remember attending the funeral service for a co-worker three years ago and seeing the anguish on the face of his ten-year-old son. I did not want to be reminded of the fact that the sacrifice was not made by an individual, but by his or her family as well. His son struggled as he walked up the aisle of the church which was packed beyond capacity. I saw the faces of my own children in that young man's contorted expression. I wanted to hold him and tell him everything would be alright...to thank him for his own sacrifice...concepts he would never understand. Instead, I choked back tears and put on my "game face." I would highly recommend a trip to Washington DC include a visit to the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial. It is a stark reminder of the sacrifice made by fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters. A sacrifice made far too often for my taste. The opportunity to pay tribute in a serene Memorial protected by the fiercest of nature's creatures. I would give the Memorial five stars out of a possible five.

In the past, I have promised to contribute the money made from a review to a specific cause. However, I have donated much more than the twenty-seven cents I will make from writing this review. Instead, I would invite those who read this review to visit the NLEOMF website to offer their own contributions to this worthy cause. The building of a Museum to further honor the law enforcement community is a great way to say thank you. The website is located at https://secure.donationreport.com/donation.html?key=3JJ9N5QSVCF7 for anyone interested in making a contribution. Eighty million dollars is a lot of money, but a sum that is certainly within reach if enough people care enough to donate. Thank you.

Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime